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A Day in June/Chapter Four
J U N E As June works in Denver as a Senator... (note: put that after this section there will be a time skip to June of next year) I sit with my hands folded elegantly on my lap. The dress I'm wearing today is pretty fancy, as I'm attending a celebratory ball. It's Anden's birthday apparently. The dress sits on my shoulders, though my shoulders are showing. The ruby necklace that Day had once given me sits at the base of my neck. The dress is green though (emerald green, it also has a few emeralds decorating the hem and the folds of the dress), so my necklace shows out. There are a few pearls strewn into my hair, which hangs loose tonight. The dress is probably worth around fifty thousand Republic Notes. People walk past me on the streets of Colburn. I try to act normal, though I'm getting a lot of stares from the passengers. It must be the dress. My escort, a lady named Taria is taking me. She told me she would pick me up at the Colburn sector, in front of my new apartment at 1700 hours. I check my watch. It's 1703 hours. She's late. It's quiet this afternoon, and I fidget with my necklace. A faint roar sounds nearby, and I sit up, waiting expectantly for Taria to hurry over. "Sorry I'm late," the lady says breathlessly, "I got a call from the Elector about a meeting. When we get to the ball, I am to drop you off and head somewhere else." "Is the Elector not attending the ball then?" I frown. Surely there would be no point in going if Anden wasn't going. "The Elector will be there," Taria reassured me, "The Princeps will take over for him at the meeting instead." Oh, of course. I step into the jeep and smooth down my dress. "Do you know what it's about?" Taria shakes her head, "I'm afraid not, Ms. Iparis. I don't think the Elector would want me to spread the news about it even if I knew." "What if it's war?" I break in suddenly, "What if the Colonies are attacking again?" Taria pales visibly, "I..." she pauses and starts the engine again to start the drive to the Elector's sector, "I don't think that's a possibility, Ms. Iparis, and even if it was, I'd rather we don't..." she seemed at a loss of words. The young woman stopped speaking and concentrated on the drive. She was dressed in a formal dress (Dark red, no jewels, just a plain maroon for the top half; Bottom half is a brighter red, with small rubies lining the bottom of her dress) and seemed quite nervous. The topic of war had made her agitated, and I notice how she seemed to be biting back tears. (She must have lost someone to the war against the Colonies, and another war after ten years is frightening to her.) Seven minutes and thirty-four seconds later, we arrive in front of a grand hall. "Please enjoy yourself, Ms. Iparis," Taria says, "I'm sure the Elector will be glad to see you." "Good luck with the meeting," I answer instead. I'm not sure why I'm not attending the meeting as a Senator, but I guess only the escorts are going. Taria has been my escort for several meetings already, and if I couldn't attend, she would fill in for me and relay the messages that Anden wanted to give me. I step inside the hall and my eyes slowly adjust to the darkness. There's faint music in the background, and the hall is packed with people. I make my way quickly through the throng and find myself on the opposite end, alone in the shadows. This crowded space reminds me of ten years ago, when we had an emergency banquet and I had invited Day to join us. Instinctively, my eyes search for Day's white-blond hair and his bright blue eyes. I let out a small sigh when I don't find him. "Hello, June," a voice startles me. For an illogical moment, I thought Day had been invited to attend too, and that he was here right now. "It's nice to see you here." I turn, my cheeks bright red when I realized Anden himself was standing behind me. He sees my blush and smiles, which only makes me even more embarrassed. Anden tilts his head and seems to realize where my emotions came from. "My apologies," he frowns, "I didn't mean to interrupt your train of thoughts...about him." I bite my lip, frustrated that I couldn't keep my emotions in check. "It's fine," I struggle to say, "It's not like...we were...together." Anden shakes his head, "Still, I have no right to ask you to move away from Day... It's been several years since we started...you know, but I still..." he sighs. My blush deepens, and I try furiously to shake it off. I don't know why this little talk with the Elector is making me so nervous, or why he kept catching me by surprise. "Day and I haven't been together for ten years," I manage, "I think I can still handle some time without him and not think about everything we had." It came out sharper than I thought, and Anden just nods, "Of course," he says simply, "I was foolish to believe that your mind would be...occupied." There's too much tension here. Anden seems to notice too, as he begins to turn away. I frown, noticing his stance. (He's tense, something big must have happened. He must be feeling lonely, as Mariana and him aren't a match. He wants to find comfort in me, and that's why he mentioned Day.) All this flies into my mind as I suddenly take a step forward. "Happy birthday, Elector," I say smoothly, "I hope it turns out to be a nice day." He smiles, "Thank you, June, though...there's something that came make it better." Without warning, he stoops down and plants his mouth firmly on mine. I'm startled, and heat flushes to my face. I gasp as he pressed his hand to my back, drawing me closer, though gently. I'm instantly reminded of my night with Day so long ago, though Anden handles this kiss with less passion. There's too much heat now, on my face, and I can't breathe. I pull away in vain, embarrassment flooding over me. "Elector-" "Sorry," he breathes out, "But I had to." Without saying anymore, Anden turns and walks away swiftly, leaving me alone. I stared after him, unsure what to say. The mention of Day had left me tired. Memories of him and me flooded back to me, and I try to stop them. Will we ever heal?